For players, free agency is usually the dream. It gives them the right to pick their destination and, usually, have a bidding war for their services. Naturally, the risk factor in free agency is high, and teams have their fair share of buyers remorse.
Take a look at the landscape of the NHL. There are multiple buy-outs every year, and the majority of those bad contracts were handed out during what’s become known as the “Free Agent Frenzy”, which historically has produced more zeroes than heroes.
For some teams, though, it has come to be an advantage.